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BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


THE BABES IN THE WOOD 


BEDTIME WONDER TALES 

BY 

CLIFTON JOHNSON 


Hop-o’-My-Thumb 

The Babes in the Wood 

The Brave Tin Soldier 

The Fox and the Little Red Hen 

Golden Hair and the Three Bears 

Cinderella 

Puss IN Boots 

Jack and the Beanstalk 

Little Red Riding-Hood 

The Story of Chicken-Licken 


Additional books will be added 
to this series from time to time. 








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Picking flowers in the forest 

(Page 16) 







BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


THE BABES IN 
THE WOOD 


CLIFTON JOHNSON 


ILLUSTRATED BY 
HARRY L. SMITH 


NEW YORK 

THE MACAULAY COMPANY 
PTTBLISHERS 



Copyright, 1919 

By the MACAULAY COMPANY 


AU Rights Reserved 



23 1 9! 9 


Printed in the U. S. A, 


©CI.A529924 


INTRODUCTORY NOTE 


The books in this series of Bedtime Won- 
der Tales are made up of favorite stories 
from the folklore of all nations. Such 
stories are particularly enjoyed by children 
from four to twelve years of age. As here 
told they are free from the savagery, dis- 
tressing details, and excessive pathos which 
mar many of the tales in the form that they 
have come down to us from a barbaric past. 
But there has been no sacrifice of the sim- 
plicity and humor and sweetness that give 
them perennial charm. 

The sources of the stories in this volume 
are as follows : Page 11, England ; 22, Scot- 
land; 26, Ireland; 47, Norway; 71, England; 
77, Siam; 83, Russia; 95, Grimm; 110, Ja- 
pan; 118, Philippines; 120, Ireland; 124, 
England. 


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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I 

The Babes^ Uncle . , 






PAQB 

11 

II 

Alone in the Wood 






16 

III 

The Clever Goose . . 






22 

IV 

A Lad in a Goatskin . 






26 

V 

Tom in Dublin . . . 






31 

VI 

How A Wolf Danced . 






36 

VII 

The Red-hot Flail . . 






41 

VIII 

A Tame White Bear . 






47 

IX 

The Goblin’s Pranks . 






52 

X 

A Midnight Battle 






58 

XI 

The Woodman’s Cat . 






66 

XII 

An Old Woman’s Pig . 






71 

XIII 

The Faithful Wife 






77 

XIV 

Forest Troubles . . 






83 

XV 

Saving His Nose . . 






90 

XVI 

The Captive Prince 






95 

XVII 

A Forgotten Princess 






105 

XVIII 

The Mirror .... 






no 

XIX 

The Passing of Loku . 






118 

XX 

The Leaky Saucepan . 






120 

XXI 

Molly and the Pixies 






124 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


Picking Flowers in the Forest . . Frontispiece ^ 

See text page 16 

Tom is Halted by the Dublin Guards . . 32 

Midnight at the Stile 72 

The Forgot rEN Princess Working for the 

Miller 108 ^ 



THE BABES IN THE 
WOOD 


I 

THE BABES^ TJNCLE 

A GREAT many years ago there was a brave 
and kind gentleman who was held in high 
esteem by all who knew him. His wife was 
good and beautiful, and they loved each 
other most tenderly. 

They had lived happily together for a 
number of years when the gentleman fell 
sick. Day after day he grew worse, and so 
grieved was his lady by his illness that she 
became sick too. 

No medicines nor anything else gave them 

II 


12 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


any relief, and they realized that they had 
not long to live. What troubled them most, 
now that their end was near, was the thought 
that they would be taken away from their 
two children. One of the children was a fine 
boy four years old, and the other a pretty 
little girl not quite three. 

The father and mother talked together 
about the children’s future, and decided to 
give their babes into the care of the gentle- 
man ’s brother. He was sent for, and when 
he came, the gentleman said to him: ‘‘Ah! 
brother, you can plainly see that the time of 
both my wife and myself on earth is short. 
Our poor babes will soon be left parentless. 
Brother, they will have no one but you to be 
kind to them.” 

“We commend them to your care,” the 
mother said. 

“You need have no fear as to my taking 
good care of them,” the brother declared. 


THE BABES’ UNCLE 13 

‘‘May Heaven never prosper me or mine if 
I should do them wrong.” 

Not long afterward the gentleman and the 
lady died, and they were buried side by side 
in the same grave. 

The gentleman’s will gave his son three 
hundred pounds a year after he came of age, 
and the girl was to be paid five hundred 
pounds in gold on the day that she married. 
But if the son did not live till he wrs of age, 
and if the daughter did not live to be mar- 
ried, all their property was to go to their 
uncle. 

He took them to his own home, and for a 
time he made much of them and showed 
them great kindness. At length, however, 
he began to covet their wealth, and to wish 
that they were dead so he could possess it. 
But they continued sturdy and well. 

Finally he said to himself : “It would not 
be very difficult for me to have them killed 


14 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


in such a way that my neighbors would 
never suspect that I was responsible for the 
act. Then their property would be mine, 
and that would be the end of the matter.” 

With this thought in mind, the cruel uncle 
soon decided how to dispose of the children. 
He hired two burly ruffians, who were used 
to doing desperate deeds, to take the little 
boy and girl into a thick dark wood, some 
distance away, and slay them. 

He told his wife an artful story of intend- 
ing to send the children to London, where 
they could be brought up by one of his 
friends. The children were in the room and 
heard what he said. 

After explaining his plan to his wife, he 
turned to the little boy and girl. ‘‘Would 
you not like that, my pretty ones?” he 
asked. “You will see famous London 
Town ; and you, my lad, can buy a fine wood- 
en horse there, and ride on it all day long. 


THE BABBS’ UNCLE 


15 


and you can buy a whip to make your horse 
gallop, and you can buy a sword to wear by 
your side. As for your sister, she shall have 
pretty frocks, and she shall have dolls and 
other nice playthings.” 

^‘Oh, yes! I will go, uncle,” the little boy 
said. 

‘‘Goody-good!” the little girl exclaimed. 
“I will go too.” 


o 


ALONE IN THE WOOD 

Early the next day the children’s uncle got 
them ready, just as if they were going on a 
long journey, and sent them off in a fine 
coach in charge of the two ruffians he had 
hired. As the children rode along they prat- 
tled pleasantly to the men who intended to 
be their butchers. 

When the coach reached the borders of 
the dark thick wood, the wretches took out 
the little boy and girl, and told them they 
might walk a little way and gather some 
Bowers. The children ran about here and 
there, getting farther and farther from the 
coach, and the men began talking together 
in low tones. 


16 


ALONE IN THE WOOD 


17 


Truly,” one said, ‘^now fhat I have seen 
the babes ^ sweet faces and heard their 
pretty talk, I have no heart to do the will of 
their villain of an uncle.” 

^‘The thing suits me no better than it does 
you,” the other declared, ‘^but we have been 
paid so well for the job that I shall complete 
my part of the bargain.” 

The more kindly disposed ruffian would 
not agree to such a course, and they argued 
till they got angry and began to fight. They 
drew the big knives with which they had 
planned to kill the babes, and the one who 
wished to spare the children stabbed his com- 
rade so that the fellow dropped dead in the 
grass. 

The victor knew not what to do with the 
children now. He wanted to get away to 
some distant region as quickly as possible. 
If he was found near the man he had slain 
he could hardly hope to escape punishmenf. 


18 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


There was no time to take the children back. 
Besides, they would not be safe in their 
uncle’s power. 

He concluded that the best thing he could 
do would be to leave them in the wood and 
trust that they would be kindly treated 
by whoever passed that way and discov- 
ered them. So he went to where they had 
rambled in their flower-picking, and said, 
‘‘Take my hands, and come with me.” 

He led them on and on until they began to 
complain that they were hungry. 

“Stay here,” he ordered, “and I will go 
and get you something to eat.” 

So away he went, and the babes sat there 
a long time waiting for him to return. “Will 
the strange man come soon with some cakes 
for us?” the little girl asked. 

“Before long, I think,” the boy re- 
plied encouragingly. 

“I wish I had some cakes,” she said. 


!ALONE IN THE WOOD 


19 


Then they stood np and looked all about 
as far as they could see among the trees, but 
no one was in sight. They listened for ap- 
proaching footsteps, but heard nothing ex- 
cept the wind fluttering in the foliage aboye 
their heads. 

^‘Perhaps we had better go to meet the 
man,’’ the boy suggested; and hand in hand 
they wandered about in the wood. 

They found some blackberries, and stained 
their lips eating them. At last night came, 
and they sat down and cried themselves to 
sleep. 

When day dawned, again they resumed 
their wandering, but they could not find their 
way out of the wood. Nor were they any 
more successful in the days that followed. 
Of course they could not live on blackber- 
ries, and so they died. 

There was no one to bury the pretty babes ; 
but Eobin Eedbreast saw them lying side 


20 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


by side lifeless in the woodland, and he cov- 
ered them with leaves. 

Meanwhile the wicked uncle supposed they 
had been killed according to his orders, and 
he let it be understood that they had died 
in London of the smallpox. He took their 
fortune to himself, and thought he had pro- 
vided amply for his comfort and pleasure 
to the end of his days. 

But instead of happiness he experienced 
only misfortune. He had no peace of mind, 
because he had an evil conscience, and his 
thoughts dwelt on the death of the babes. 
Moreover, his barns burned, his harvests 
failed, his cattle died in the field, and his two 
sons, who had gone on a voyage to Portugal, 
were wrecked and drowned. 

At last he was brought to want and mis- 
ery. He pawned his jewels and mortgaged 
his land. Not long afterward he was thrown 
into jail for debt, and there he died. 


ALONE IN THE WOOD 21 

About that time the ruffian who bad left 
tbe children in the wood was captured, after 
committing some crime, and he was sen- 
tenced to be hung. When he knew that he 
must die he sent for the keeper of the prison 
in which he had been shut up, and confessed 
all the wicked deeds he had done. 

Among other things he told of the two 
babes whom he and his companion had been 
hired to kill, and of the dispute that ended 
in his companion’s death, and of how he left 
the babes in the wood. It was thus that their 
sad fate was made known. 


Ill 


THE CLEVER GOOSE 

Once there was a goose that lived beside a 
lake. Sometimes she paddled about on the 
water. Sometimes she dived down under 
the surface. Sometimes she waddled along 
the marshy borders of the lake hunting for 
frogs. 

She found plenty to eat, and she grew fat- 
ter every day. But the fatter she became 
the less inclined she was to exert herself. So 
she spent much of her time on a sunny slope 
near the lake asleep, with her head under 
her wing. 

In the woodland, not far away, dwelt a 
cunning red fox. One day, as he was prowl- 
ing about, he saw the goose asleep on that 
22 


THE CLEVEE GOOSE 23 

sunny bank which she found so comfort- 
able. 

‘^Ha!’’ he said, ^‘what a fine fat goose! 
Here’s a chance for a good supper.” 

He crept closer, made a sudden leap, and 
grasped her with his paws. The goose 
awoke to find herself held fast by one of her 
wings. She struggled to get free, and she 
honked and hissed loudly, but the fox only 
laughed at her. 

‘‘It’s of no use making such a fuss,” he 
said. “You can’t scare me by your honk- 
ing and hissing, and you can’t get away. 
I’m going to eat you right here.” 

“Well, if you are going to do that,” the 
goose said, “I hope you will do it decently 
and not forget your manners.” 

‘ ‘ Forget my manners ? ’ ’ the fox said. ‘ ‘ I 
don’t understand what you mean. Please 
explain. Now if you had me in your mouth 
as I have you, tell me what you would do.” 


24 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


tlie goose responded, ^‘that is a 
question very easily answered. I would fold 
my hands, shut my eyes, and say a grace. 
Afterward I would eat you. I would be 
ashamed to gobble you down without saying 
a grace. Thank goodness ! I have been bet- 
ter brought up than to do such a thing as 
that.’’ 

‘^You certainly have the right idea of 
what is proper, ’ ’ the fox said. “ To be sure, 
I am eager to eat you, for I see plainly that 
you are both plump and tender ; but I quite 
agree with you that one ought not to neglect 
one’s manners.” 

So he folded his hands, shut his eyes, and 
with a very demure look on his countenance 
repeated a pious grace. 

But while he expressed his thankfulness 
for the ample size and toothsome fatness of 
his captive, and asked a blessing on the 
bountiful repast of which he was about to 


THE CLEVER GOOSE 


25 


partake, the goose waddled softly away. 
However, she had gone only a short distance 
when the fox finished his grace and opened 
his eyes. 

The goose saw that no time was to be lost, 
and she spread her wings for a flight. 
‘^Good-by!’’ she called back to the fox as she 
left the ground. like your manners. I 
hope your supper will agree with you.” 

She fiew far out over the lake and let her- 
self splash down on the surface. There she 
floated and rested after the exertion of her 
flight and the excitement of her narrow es- 
cape. 

The fox was left to lick his lips in vain 
regret. ‘‘Ah!” he exclaimed in disgust, “I 
will learn a lesson from this. Never again 
in all my life will I say a grace till after I 
feel the meat warm in my stomach.” 


IV 

A LAD IN A GOATSKIN 

Long ago there was a poor widow who had a 
son named Tom. She could give him so few 
clothes that she did not like to have him seen 
outside the house, and she kept him indoors 
until he was nineteen years old. By that 
time he was a big brawny fellow six feet tall. 

Then, in some way or other, she contrived 
to get him a goatskin, which she fastened 
around his waist. That made him feel quite 
grand, and he took a walk down the street. 

The next morning the widow said to him: 
^‘Tom, you rascal, youVe never done any 
work yet. Take the rope that hangs in the 

shed, and bring me a fagot from the wood.” 
26 


A LAD IN A GOATSKIN 27 

^ ^ All right, mother, ’ ’ he responded. ‘ ^ Here 
goes.” 

Away he went to the wood, and as soon as 
he had gathered enough sticks he tied them 
into a fagot. Then along came a big giant 
and made a whack at Tom with a club. Tom 
saved himself by jumping to one side, and 
at the same time grabbed up a stone that hap- 
pened to be lying handy. Before the giant 
could strike again he hurled the stone at his 
head with such good aim that he laid him full 
length on the earth. 

Tom picked up another stone, and said, 
‘Hf you know a prayer, now’s your time to 
say it before I make jelly of you.” 

have no prayers,” the giant told him, 
‘‘but if you spare my life. I’ll give you my 
club. As long as you keep from sin you’ll 
win every battle you fight with it. Besides, 
it will do you many another magic service, 
if you only give it orders.” 


28 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


So Tom let the giant go about his business. 
Then he sat down astride of the fagot, and 
gave it a tap with his club. ‘‘Fagot,” he 
said, “I had great trouble gathering you, and 
I risked my life for you with the giant. The 
least you can do is to carry me home.” 

Sure enough, the fagot went cantering off 
through the wood, creaking and cracking till 
it came to the widow’s door. 

When the sticks were all burned, Tom was 
sent to get more. Another giant attacked 
him in the wood and was vanquished. But 
the giant induced Tom to spare his life by 
giving him a magic fife. “Nobody can help 
dancing when that fife is played,” the giant 
said. “Even your bundle of sticks would 
dance if you wished it to do so.” 

So Tom mounted the big fagot he had got- 
ten ready, blew on the fife, and made the 
fagot dance home with him riding on it. 

He encountered still another giant later 


A LAD IN A GOATSKIN 29 


when he went for a third fagot, knocked him 
down, and let the fellow go after receiving 
from him a bottle of green ointment. 

‘^Yon only need to rub yourself with that 
magic ointment,” the giant said, ‘Ho keep 
from being burned, scalded, or woundedw 
There are no more of us giants in the wood, 
and you can come here in future as much as 
you please without being disturbed.” 

Tom was prouder now than ten peacocks, 
and he used to go for a walk down street 
every pleasant evening to give people a 
chance to see him. But some of the little 
boys had no more manners than to put out 
their tongues at Tom’s club and goatskin, 
and he didn’t like that at all. 

Presently there rode through the town a 
man who carried a bugle and wore a hunts- 
man’s cap ahd a gay-colored coat. This 
bugleman proclaimed that the King of Dub- 
lin’s daughter was so melancholy she hadn’t 


30 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


laughed for seven years, wherefore her 
father would grant her in marriage to who- 
ever would make her laugh three times. 

‘‘That’s the very thing for me to try,” 
Tom said. So he kissed his mother, shook 
his fist at the little boys, and set off along 
the highroad to Dublin. 


V 


TOM IN DUBLIN 

At last Tom came to the gates of Dublin, but 
the guards laughed and swore at him instead 
of letting him through. Tom stood this for 
a little time till one of them, out of fun, as 
he said, drove his bayonet half an inch or so 
into Tom’s leg. Then Tom took the guard 
by the scruff of his neck and the waistband 
of his trousers, and chucked him into the 
canal. 

Some of his comrades ran to pull him out, 
and others to teach the vulgarian manners 
with their swords and daggers. But a tap 
from Tom’s club sent those who attacked 
him headlong into the water or down on the 
31 


32 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


stones, and they were soon begging him to 
stay his hands. 

One of them very humbly showed him the 
way to the palace yard. There he saw the 
king and queen and the princess in a gallery 
looking down at all sorts of wrestling and 
sword-playing and dancing and acting, in- 
tended to please the princess. But not a 
smile came over her handsome face. 

The wrestlers, swordsmen, dancers, and 
actors all stopped at sight of Tom with his 
great strong arms and bare legs, and no cov- 
ering except the goatskin that reached from 
his waist to his knees. An envious wizened 
fellow with a red head, who wished to marry 
the princess, and didn’t like the way she 
opened her eyes at Tom, came forward and 
very snappishly asked his business. 

‘^My business is to make the beautiful 
princess — God bless her — laugh three 
times,” Tom replied. 



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TOM IN DUBLIN 


33 


‘‘Do you see all these merry fellows and 
skillful swordsmen?” the other said. “They 
would eat you up with a grain of salt ; and 
yet not a mother’s son of them has been able 
to get a laugh from the princess for seven 
years.” 

The fellows gathered round Tom, and Red- 
head aggravated him until the lad cried out: 
“I don’t care a pinch of snuff for the whole 
bunch of you. If you want a thrashing, 
come on, and see what will happen to 
you.” 

The king, who was too far away to hear 
their words, asked what the stranger 
wanted. 

Redhead replied, “He wants to give your 
best men a beating.” 

“Oho!” the king exclaimed, “if that’s his 
idea, let one of them step forth and try his 
mettle.” 

So one went forward, with sword and 


34 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


shield, and made a cut at Tom. But Tom 
struck the chap’s elbow with his club, and up 
over their heads flew the sword, and down 
went the owner of it on the ground from a 
thump he got on the helmet. 

Another took his place with no better luck, 
and another and another, then half a dozen 
at once, and Tom sent swords, helmets and 
shields flying in all directions. The men 
themselves went rolling over and over and 
bawling out that they were killed, disabled, 
and damaged. But they soon sat up to rub 
their elbows and hips, and Anally got on their 
feet and limped away. 

The princess was so amused that she let 
out a great sweet laugh that was heard all 
over the yard, and Tom said, ‘‘King of Dub- 
lin, I’ve won a third of your daughter.” 

The king didn’t know whether he was glad 
or sorry. It pleased him to hear the princess 
laugh, but the prospect of having such a 


TOM IN DUBLIN 35: 

wild-looking youth for a son-in-law was not 
altogether agreeable. 

As for the princess, when she heard Tom ’s 
words, all the blood in her heart ran into her 
cheeks. 

There was no more fighting that day, and 
Tom was given some fine clothes and iur 
vited to dine with the royal family. 

Next morning Bedhead told Tom of a big 
wolf that came serenading about the walls of 
the city and ate people and cattle. ^‘You 
can be very sure,” he said, ^‘that it would 
give the king great satisfaction to have the 
brute’s marauding stopped.” 

^^Then I will stop it gladly,” Tom de- 
clared. ‘‘Send some one to show me where 
the creature lives, and we’ll see how he be- 
haves to a stranger.” 


yi 

HOW A WOLF DANCED 

When Tom told the princess of his inten- 
tion to seek the savage wolf, she was far 
from glad ; for she had taken a liking to him, 
and he looked a different person in his fine 
clothes and a nice green cap on his head. 

However, the king gave his consent that 
Tom should go, and away the lad went with 
a huntsman to guide him to the mountains 
where the wolf lived. An hour and a half 
later the horrible wolf walked into the palace 
yard, and Tom followed a step or two behind 
carrying his club on his shoulder, just 
as a shepherd would walk after a pet 
lamb. 

The king and queen and princess were safe 

36 


HOW A WOLF DANCED 3T 

lip in their gallery. But the officers and peo- 
ple of the court, who were strolling about 
down below, no sooner saw the big beast 
coming in than they began to make for the 
doors and gates. 

The wolf licked his chops as if he were 
saying, Wouldn’t I enjoy a breakfast off 
a couple of you!” 

^ ^ Tom ! ’ ’ the king shouted, ‘ ^ take away that 
terrible wolf.” 

But Tom didn’t mind him a bit. He 
pulled out his fife and began to play with a 
vengeance. Every man and boy in the yard 
started jigging heel and toe, and the wolf 
himself was obliged to rise on his hind legs 
and dance along with the rest. A good many 
people got into the palace, and they shut the 
doors so the shaggy, sharp-toothed wolf 
wouldn’t follow them. 

Tom kept playing, and the folks in the 
yard kept shouting and dancing, and the 


38 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


wolf kept hopping around and roaring with 
the pain his legs were giving him. 

All the time the wolf had his eyes on Red- 
head, who was one of the dancers. Wher- 
ever Redhead went the wolf followed, and 
kept one eye on him and the other on Tom 
to see if he would let him eat the fellow. 
But Tom shook his head and never stopped 
fhe tune, and Redhead never stopped danc- 
ing and bawling, and the wolf never stopped 
dancing and roaring, and Redhead and the 
wolf were both ready to drop, they were so 
tired. 

When the princess saw she need not fear 
that any one would be killed, she was so di- 
verted by the stew Redhead was in that she 
gave another great laugh. 

‘‘King of Dublin,’’ Tom cried out, “I have 
won two-thirds of your daughter!” 

“Thirds or alls,” the king said, “get rid 
of that villain of a wolf.” 


HOW A WOLF DANCED 


39 


So Tom put his fife in his pocket, and said 
to the beast, who was sitting down ready to 
faint: ‘^Walk off to your mountains, you 
hairy rogue, and live like a respectable ani- 
mal. If ever I hear of your coming within 
seven miles of any town ” 

He said no more, but spit in his fists and 
gave his club a flourish. That was enough 
for the wolf. He put his tail between his 
legs and took to his heels, and neither the sun 
nor the moon and stars ever saw him near 
Dublin again. 

At dinner every one except Eedhead had 
a merry time talking about the dance. He 
was plotting how he would be revenged on 
Tom. By and by he said to the king: 
“Well, to be sure, your Majesty, you are in 
luck to have at your court such a person as 
this gentleman who came to us in a goatskin. 
He can defend your country from the Danes 
who are murdering so many of your people. 


40 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


If only lie wiU get a flail that hangs on the 
wall just inside the entrance to Hades, he 
will need no other weapon. No one can 
stand before it.’’ 

‘‘King of Dublin,” Tom said, “wiU you let 
me have the other third of the princess if I 
bring that flail?” 

Before the king could answer, the prin- 
cess cried out, “No, no! I’d rather never 
be your wife than to have you attempt any- 
thing so dangerous.” 

But Redhead nudged Tom, and whispered, 
“It would be very shabby of you to avoid 
this adventure just because it is dangerous.” 

Tom thought so too, and he decided to go. 


VII 


THE EED-HOT FLAIL 

Tom traveled and traveled until lie came in 
sight of the walls of Hades. Before going 
farther he rubbed himself all over with the 
green ointment. Soon afterward he knocked 
at the gates and a hundred little imps 
popped their heads out through the bars. 

‘^What do you want?” they screeched, 
want to speak to the big imp of all,” 
Tom said. ‘^Open the gates.” 

It wasn’t long till the gates were thrown 
open, and Old Nick welcomed Tom with 
bows and scrapes, and asked what busi- 
ness brought him there. 

“My business isn’t much,” Tom replied. 
“I only came for the loan of that flail I see 

41 


42 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


hanging on the wall. The King of Dublin 
wants it to use in giving a thrashing to the 
Danes.’’ 

‘‘Well,” Old Nick said, “the Danes are 
much better customers of mine than his peo- 
ple. But since you’ve come so far for it, I 
won’t refuse.” 

“Hand that flail to the gentleman,” he 
said to a young imp, and he winked his far- 
off eye at the same time. 

Then, while some of the others were bar- 
ring the gates, the young imp climbed up and 
took down the iron flail. It was red hot, and 
the little vagabond was grinning to think 
how it would burn the hands off of Tom. 
But not a burn did it make any more than 
if it was a flail of wood. 

“Thank you,” Tom said, “and now, if you 
will open the gates, I will give you no more 
trouble.” 

“Aha! you tramp,” Old Nick exclaimed, 


THE RED-HOT FLAIL 43 

is easier getting inside those gates than 
it is getting out.” 

‘‘Lads,” he said to the imps, “take that 
tool from him, and give him a walloping.” 

So the nearest imp put out his claws to 
seize the flail. But Tom gave him such a 
welt with it on the side of his head that he 
broke off one of his horns, and made him 
roar like the demon that he was. Then they 
all rushed at Tom and he gave them, little 
and big, such a thrashing as they didn’t for- 
get for a while. 

At last Old Nick, rubbing his elbows, said, 
^‘Let the fool out, and woe to whoever lets 
him in again.” 

Tom marched out, and went off never 
minding the shouting and cursing they kept 
up at him from the top of the walls. When 
he got back to the big yard of the palace, 
every one ran and raced to see him and the 
flail. After telling his story, he laid down 


U BEDTIME WONDER TALES 

the flail on the stone steps, and gave strict 
orders that it should not be touched. 

The king, queen, and princess came for- 
ward to greet Tom. They had made mucK 
of him before, but now they made ten times 
more of him. 

While they were talking with him, that 
mean blackguard. Redhead, sneaked up to 
the flail, intending to pick it up and make 
an end of Tom. Scarcely had his fingers 
touched it when he let out a roar of pain, and 
jumped and flung his arms about in great 
distress. 

Tom ran to him, caught his hands, gave 
them a rubbing, and at once the burning 
pain left them. Then the fellow, between 
the pain that was just gone and the comfort 
he was in, had the most comical face you ever 
saw. The onlookers burst out laughing, and 
the princess laughed with the rest. 

‘‘Now, marm,” Tom said, “if there were 


THE EED-HOT ELAIL 45 

fifty thirds to you, I hope you’d give me all 
of them.” 

The princess looked at her father, and, by 
my word ! she came over to Tom, put her two 
delicate hands into his two rough ones, and 
I wish it was myself who was in his shoes 
that day. 

Tom would not bring the flail into the 
palace, and you may be sure that no one else 
went near it after Redhead’s experience. 
When the early risers were going out next 
morning they found two long clefts in the 
stone where it had been left. It had burned 
an opening for itself downward, nobody 
could tell how far, 

Tom was regretting that it could not be 
used against the Danes, when a messenger 
arrived with the news that the Danes had 
heard of the flail’s coming to Dublin, and 
were so frightened they had gotten into their 
ships and sailed away. 


46 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


Before Tom married I suppose lie got 
some one to teach him the principles of po- 
liteness, gunnery, fortifications, and decimal 
fractions so he would be able to keep up a 
conversation with the royal family. But 
whether he learned any of those sciences or 
not, it’s as sure as fate that his mother never 
more saw want to the end of her days. 


VIII 


A TAME .WHITE BEAR 

One Christmas Day, when the king of Nor- 
way was feasting in the great hall of his 
palace, he proposed that a present should be 
sent to the king of Denmark as a pledge of 
his good will. ‘‘But what shall it be?” he 
asked. 

In response, Anders, his chief huntsman, 
said : ‘ ‘ Your Majesty, let the present be one 
of our handsome white bears. They have 
no such fine creatures in the Danish forests.” 

“But are you sure that a bear can be sent 
on so long a journey?” the king inquired. 
“And is there any certainty that he would 
behave himself after he reached the Danish 
court?” 


47 


48 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


“You need not feel the least anxiety,” 
Anders replied. “I have a fellow as white 
as snow that I caught when he was a cub, and 
I have trained him with the greatest care. 
He will follow me wherever I go, play with 
my children, stand on his hind legs, and con- 
duct himself as properly as any gentleman. 
I will take him to Denmark myself, if you 
choose.” 

The king was much pleased, and he or- 
dered Anders to set off with his snow-white 
bear as promptly as possible. 

So early the next morning Anders roused 
Bruin, and put round the creature’s neck a 
collar the king had supplied. Then away 
the two went over rocks and mountains and 
across valleys and plains, the nearest road 
to the court of the king of Denmark. It was 
bright weather, the sun shone and the birds 
sang, and the huntsman and his bear traveled 
merrily on day after day. 


A TAME WHITE BEAR 


49 


They had almost reached their journey’s 
end when they came to a gloomy forest 
through which they tramped all one after- 
noon. Toward evening the wind began to 
rustle through the trees, and the clouds gath- 
ered, threatening a stormy night. 

The road too was very rough, and both 
Bruin and his master were exceedingly 
weary. What made matters worse, was the 
fact that they had found no wayside inn dur- 
ing the day. So they had not been able to 
buy food, and had eaten nearly all the scanty 
supply they carried with them. 

‘‘This is a pretty affair!” Anders 
grumbled. “Here I am in a lonely forest 
with an empty stomach, a bear for my com- 
panion, and the prospect of a wet bed.” 

The wind increased in violence, the clouds 
grew darker, and Bruin shook his ears un- 
easity. Anders was at his wit’s end when a 
woodman came whistling out of a by-path 


50 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


walking beside bis horse, which dragged a 
load of fagots. 

‘‘My good man,’’ Anders said, “I suppose 
you live not far away. Can I get a night’s 
lodging at your home for myself and my 
bear?” 

The woodman seemed hearty and good- 
natured enough, and was quite ready to pro- 
vide shelter for the huntsman, but he had 
never seen a bear before in his life, and he 
would have nothing to do with the creature 
on any terms. 

Anders begged hard for his companion, 
and told how we was bringing him for a pres- 
ent to the king of Denmark, and how the bear 
was the most good-natured, best-behaved 
animal in the world. 

The woodman, however, was not to be 
moved. He was sure that his wife would not 
like such a guest, and who could say what 
the bear might take it into his head to do ? 


A TAME WHITE BEAR 


51 


Moreover, their dog and their cat, their 
ducks and their geese would all run away 
for fright, whether the bear was disposed to 
be friendly with them or not. 

‘‘No,” he said in conclusion,” if you and 
old shaggy-back cannot part, you must 
spend the night in the forest, and no doubt 
you will have a sad time of it.” 

Then he cracked his whip, clucked to his 
horse, and set off once more on his way home- 
ward. The huntsman grumbled, and Bruin 
grunted as they resumed their plodding 
along the rough road. 


IX 


THE GOBLIN PRANKS 

The man with the horse went in one direc- 
tion, and Anders with the bear went in the 
other direction. But they had parted only 
a few moments when the woodman stopped 
and called Anders back. 

think I can tell you a better plan than 
sleeping under a tree,” he said. There is 
a house down the hill yonder which used to 
be my home. You are quite welcome to the 
shelter it affords if you will run the risk of 
getting into trouble with a mischievous gob- 
lin who has taken up his abode in it. 

‘‘My family lived in the house as recently 
as last winter. Everything had been going 
smoothly with us for a long time, but one 

52 


THE GOBLIN’S PEANKS 53 


unlucky nigkt, when the storm blew as it 
seems likely to blow tonight, that spiteful 
imp took it into his head to visit us. Ever 
since then the house has been in an uproar 
from midnight till the cock crows in the 
morning. Clattering footsteps run up and 
down the stairs, and there are many other 
strange disturbing noises. 

‘‘What the goblin is like no one knows. 
We have never seen him, nor have we seen 
anything belonging to him, except a queer 
little high-heeled shoe that he left one night 
in the pantry. But though we have not seen 
him, we know he has a hand as heavy as 
lead ; for when he chooses to thump anybody, 
down goes that person as if the blacksmith’s 
hammer had hit him. 

“There was no end to the goblin’s scurvy 
tricks. If the washing was hung out to dry, 
he cut the line. If he wanted a cup of ale, 
he filled a mug from the keg and left the tap 


54 BEDTIME WONDEE TALES 


running. If the fowls were shut up, he let 
them out. He would drive the cow into the 
garden, ride on the cows, and turn the horses 
into the rich-yard. Several times he nearly 
burned the house down by leaving a lighted 
candle among the fagots. 

‘^He is astonishingly active and nimble. 
Sometimes, when he is once in motion, noth- 
ing stands still around him. Dishes and 
plates, pots and pans dance about, making a 
dreadful sort of music, and breaking each 
other to pieces. Even the chairs and tables 
act as if they were alive. They seem to be 
dancing a hornpipe together or playing some 
wild game. Nor is there any use of putting 
things in order; for if you do the imp 
quickly turns everything upside down 
again. 

‘‘My wife and I bore such a lodger as long 
as we could, but at length we were fairly 
beaten. He seemed determined to stay per- 


THE GOBLIN’S PRANKS 55 


manently in the house, and we thought best 
to give him fuU possession. 

‘‘The little rascal knew what we were 
about when we were preparing to move, and 
seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of us. So 
he helped us off. When we got up on the 
morning that we were to start, intending to 
load the wagon, there the wagon was before 
the door with the goods on it. 

“As we drove away we heard a loud laugh, 
and a sharp little voice cried out of a window, 
‘ Good-by, neighbors ! ’ 

“Well, he has the old house to himself 
now, and can play as many pranks as he 
pleases. We have built a snug cottage for 
ourselves on the other side of the hill. It is 
smaller and less comfortable than the old 
house, but we shall not go back while that 
goblin is there. However, if you and your 
comrade choose to run the hazard, you are 
heartily welcome to the shelter; and it may 


56 BEDTIME WONDEE TALES 

be that the imp is not at home tonight.” 

‘‘We will try our luck,” Anders said. 
“Nothing could be worse than sleeping out 
of doors such a night as this. We may have 
to fight for our lodging, but never mind — 
Bruin will take a hand in any quarrel that 
arises. I’ll warrant you he’ll give the gob- 
lin rougher treatment than your house dog 
could inflict. At any rate, he’ll let the gob- 
lin know what a bear’s hug is.” 

“I hope the creature will get the punish- 
ment he deserves,” the woodman declared. 
“Well, whether he disturbs you or not, you 
will be better off for having a fire on the 
hearth this chilly night. Here, take along 
one of these fagots from my load ; and now I 
must hurry home.” 

Anders, with the fagot on his back, and the 
bear following at his heels, soon found his 
way to the deserted house. He went into the 
kitchen and started a fire. 


THE GOBLIN’S PRANKS 57 


^‘Alack-a-day !” he said, as he rose from 
his knees on the hearth, where he had been 
puffing the first feeble flames to encourage 
them, forgot one thing. I ought to have 
asked that woodman for some supper. All I 
have left is a little dry bread. But I am 
glad we shall not be obliged to sleep in the 
woods. We will eat what food we have, 
warm ourselves, and get to bed as soon as 
possible.” 

So, after eating the few crusts that re- 
mained in his pack, and drinking some water 
from the well in the yard, the huntsman 
wrapped himself in his cloak and lay down 
at the back of the kitchen. Bruin curled up 
in a corner of the wide fireplace, and both 
he and his master were soon sound asleep. 


X' 


A MIDNIGHT BATTLE 

Midnight came. The fire was out, and 
everything was quiet in the house, but out- 
side a storm was raging. Presently in 
popped an ugly little goblin not much more 
than two feet high, with a humped back, a 
face like a dried pippin, and a nose like a 
ripe cranberry. He wore high-heeled shoes 
and a pointed red cap. On his shoulder he 
carried a nice fat kid, skinned and ready for 
roasting, 

rough night this!” the goblin 
grumbled. ‘ ' Bufthanks to that booby wood- 
man I have a house to myself ; and now I’ll 
prepare a hot supper and have a glass of 
good ale.” 


68 


A MIDNIGHT BATTLE 


59 


He got busy at once, and the fire was soon 
blazing cheerfully. The kid was put on a 
spit, and the roasting began. When the 
meat was sufficiently roasted, the gob- 
lin transferred it to a covered dish, and set 
the dish in a nook of the fireplace to keep 
warm till he had the table ready. 

Next he rolled a keg of ale from the closet, 
and drank a glass. Then, in the joy of his 
heart, he rubbed his hands, tossed up his red 
cap, and danced and sang before the 
hearth. 

Meanwhile the huntsman had waked up, 
and was lying very quiet, looking on from the 
back of the room. Sometimes he quaked 
with fear, and sometimes he licked his lips 
at thought of the savory supper the goblin 
had prepared. He was half minded to fight 
for the possession of the food, so keen was 
his appetite after the scanty fare of the pre- 
vious day. 


60 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 

Suddenly the goblin observed Bruin lying 
fast asleep rolled up like a ball in the chim- 
ney-corner. He went closer and looked at 
the bear very sharply, doubtful what he 
really was. 

^‘One of the woodman’s family, I sup- 
pose,” the goblin said to himself. 

Just then Bruin gave his ears a shake, and 
showed a little of his snout. 

‘^Oho!” the imp exclaimed, see what 
it is. It’s a mouse. But what a large one! 
Where could he have come from? Shall I 
let it alone or drive it out ? Perhaps it may 
do me some mischief, but I am not afraid of 
rats and mice. I have driven every other 
living thing out of the house, and this brute 
shall follow them without more delay. So 
here goes!” 

The goblin took up the spit he had used in 
roasting the kid, and brought it down with 
a rousing thump on the bear’s head. Bruin 


A MIDNIGHT BATTLE 


61 


rose slowly to his feet, snorted angrily, and 
shook himself. Then he walked across the 
room and back, and grinned at his 
enemy. 

The latter, somewhat alarmed, retreated a 
few paces. ^Ht’s bigger than I thought,” 
he mumbled. ^ ^ It isn ’t a mouse. It ’s a great 
white cat.” 

He stood with the spit in his hand pre- 
pared for a rough attack, and it soon came. 
The bear reared up and walked leisurely for- 
ward. Then he caught hold of the spit with 
one of his paws, jerked it from the goblin’s 
hand, and sent it spinning to the other end 
of the kitchen. 

A fierce battle ensued. This way and that 
fiew tables and chairs and pots and pans. 
The goblin was on the bear’s back one mo- 
ment pulling his ears and pummeling his 
body with fists and heels. But a moment 
later the bear had thrown him up in the air, 


62 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


and when he came down gave him a hug that 
made him squall. 

Afterward the goblin would jmnp up on 
one of the beams out of Bruin’s reach. 
There he would watch his chance, and soon 
leap down astride of the bear’s neck. 

Meantime Anders had become sadly 
frightened. Presently he observed that the 
oven door was open. Then, for the sake of 
safety, he crept into the oven, and lay anx- 
ious and trembling, listening to the fray. 
The struggle went on for a long time, and it 
was not at all clear who would be the win- 
ner. The whole house rang with the noise 
of the biting, scratching, snarling, screech- 
ing, growling, and pounding, while outside 
could be heard the wind blowing a gusty gale, 
and the rain falling in torrents. 

At last the goblin seemed to be growing 
weaker. He sprang aside and paused to get 
breath. The bear was glad to rest for a few 


A MIDNIGHT BATTLE 


63 


moments too, but soon prepared to renew 
the battle. J ust then the goblin dashed his 
red cap right in the bear’s eyes, and while 
Bruin was half -blinded and smarting with 
the blow, the imp darted to the door and was 
gone from sight into the night. 

^^Well done! Bravo, Bruin!” the hunts- 
man cried, as he crawled out of the oven 
and ran to bolt the door through which the 
goblin had escaped. You have combed that 
fellow’s locks finely, though you yourself 
are likewise rather the worse for the 
battle. But come, let us make the best 
of the good cheer our goblin visitor has 
left us.” 

Accordingly they set the overturned table 
on its legs, put the room somewhat to rights, 
brought the roasted kid from the nook of 
the fireplace where it had escaped harm, and 
enjoyed a hearty feast. 

When they finished, the huntsman jovially 


64 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


wished the goblin a good-night and pleasant 
dreams. Afterward he lay down and slept 
till sunrise. Bruin slept also, as well as his 
aching bones would let him. 

In the morning the two made ready to con- 
tinue on their journey. Scarcely had they 
set foot on the highway when they met the 
woodman. He inquired eagerly how they 
had passed the night. 

Anders described the goblin, and told how 
the bear had vanquished him. Then he said : 

fancy that you are well rid of the gentle- 
man now. He is not likely to come where he 
thinks he runs the risk of getting any more 
of Bruin’s hugs. If we have driven him 
away, you are amply rewarded for your en- 
tertainment of us. To tell the truth, it was 
none of the best ; for, if your ugly little ten- 
ant had not brought his supper with him, we 
should have empty stomachs this morning.” 

So saying, the huntsman and Bruin, his 


A MIDNIGHT BATTLE 


65 


fellow traveler, journeyed on. As to their 
further adventures I know nothing, but let 
us hope they reached the King of Denmark 
safely. 


XI 


THE WOODMAN^S CAT 

Aetek Anders had departed with his white 
bear, the woodman kept sharp watch of his 
old house to determine whether the bear had 
so thoroughly frightened the goblin out of 
his former haunt that he would not return. 
Three nights passed, and the house showed 
no traces of the goblin’s having revisited it. 

On the fourth day, while at work in the 
forest, a chilly scud of sleet and rain drove 
him to seek shelter on the leeward side of a 
big tree-trunk. As he stood there, leaning 
against the tree, he heard a little cracked 
voice singing, or rather croaking, for the 
singer’s tone and the words of the song were 
equally mournful. 


66 


0 


THE WOODMAN’S CAT 67 

The woodman crept quietly along in the 
direction whence the sound came from be- 
yond a low clump of bushes. Presently he 
got to where he could peep over the bushes, 
and saw, seated on a mossy tussock, the very 
same little man whom the huntsman had de- 
scribed to him. The goblin had no hat nor 
cap on his head, his face was woe-begone, 
and his legs were scratched as if he had been 
crawling through a bramble thicket. He 
was evidently sadly in the dumps at the loss 
of the good cheer and shelter of the old 
house. 

^‘Sing us another verse,” the woodman 
said, when the song came to an end. 

Instantly the goblin jumped up, stamped 
his feet with rage, and was out of sight in 
the twinkling of an eye. 

The woodman finished his work, and was 
going home in the evening, trudging along 
by his horse, when he saw the little man 


68 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


standing on a higli bank beside the road, 
looking as grim and sulky as before. 

^^Hark ye, bumpkin,’’ the goblin cried, 
^^is that great cat of yours still alive and at 
home?” 

^^My cat?” the woodman said wonder- 
ingly. 

‘Wes, your great white cat!” the little 
man shouted wrathf ully. 

Then it occurred to the woodman that the 
goblin was referring to the bear. “Oh! I 
understand,” he said. “Certainly, my 
white cat is alive and well. She would be 
glad to see you whenever you will do us the 
favor to call. As you seem to be so fond 
of her, you may like to know that she had 
five kittens last night.” 

“Five kittens!” the goblin muttered. 

“Yes,” the woodman said, “five of the 
most beautiful kits in the world ; and so like 
the old cat! It would do your heart good 


THE WOODMAN’S CAT 


69 


to see them, they have such soft, gentle paws, 
such delicate whiskers, and such pretty lit- 
tle mouths. Do look in to-night about twelve 
o’clock — the time, you know, that you used 
to come to visit us. I can assure you that 
the old cat will be glad to show you her kit- 
tens.” 

come? Not I, indeed!” the goblin 
shrieked. What do I want with the little 
wretches? Did not I see the mother once? 
Keep your kittens to yourself. I must be 
off. This is no place for me. Five kittens ! 
So there are six of the vicious brutes now! 
Good-by to you. You’ve seen me for the last 
time. So bad luck to your horrid cats and 
beggarly house!” 

‘^And bad luck to you, Mr. Crookback!” 
the woodman called after him as the little 
man scurried away. Steer clear of my cat 
if you want to keep a whole skin. The fas- 
ter and the farther you go the better. Let 


70 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


us have no more of your pranks in these 
parts 

Now the woodman felt sure that his 
troublesome guest had gone for good, and he 
moved back into the comfortable old house 
with his wife and children, and his white cat 
and her five kittens. There they lived hap- 
pily, for the goblin never came to see them 
any more. 


XII 


AN OLD WOMAN "'S PIG 

Once an old woman was sweeping her house, 
and she found a piece of money. 

‘^How lucky!” the old woman said. ^‘I 
will take this money to market and buy a 
pig.” 

So off she went to market, bought the pig, 
and started for home. In one hand she held 
a cord that was hitched to one of the pig’s 
hind legs, and Mr. Piggy walked along in 
front of her. 

It was late in the day when she left the 
market. Night came soon, and the moon 
rose. Still she walked on and on. At last 
she came to a path that branched off from the 
highway and led to her house. Here was a 

71 


72 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


tMck hedge along the road, but in a gap of 
the hedge was a stile with several steps on 
each side. At the lowest step the pig 
stopped. 

‘‘Go over the stile, pig,” the old woman 
said. 

But the pig said, “I won’t.” 

So the old woman looked around, and she 
saw a dog. “Dog, dog,” she said, “bite pig 
and make him go over the stile. I see by 
the moonlight ’tis half-past midnight — 
time piggy and I were at home an hour 
ago.” 

But the dog said, “No, pig never did me 
any harm”; and he wouldn’t bite him. 

So the old woman looked around, and she 
saw a stick. “Stick, stick,” she said, “bang 
dog. Dog won’t bite pig and make him go 
over the stile. I see by the moonlight ’tis 
half-past midnight — ^time piggy and I were 
at home an hour ago.” 



Midnight at the stile 



AN OLD WOMAN’S PIG 73 

But the stick said, ‘‘No, dog never did me 
any harm”; and it wouldn’t bang him. 

So the old woman looked around, and she 
saw a fire. “Lire, fire,” she said, “burn 
stick. Stick won’t bang dog, and dog won’t 
bite pig and make him run home. I see by 
the moonlight ’tis half -past midnight— time 
piggy and I were at home an hour ago.” 

But the fire said, “No, stick never did me 
any harm”; and it wouldn’t burn it. 

So the old woman looked around, and she 
saw a puddle of water. “Water, water,” 
she said, “quench fire. Fire won’t burn 
stick, stick won’t bang dog, and dog won’t 
bite pig and make him go over the stile. I 
see by the moonlight ’tis half -past midnight 
— time piggy and I were at home an hour 
ago.” 

But the water said, “No, fire never did me 
any harm”; and it wouldn’t quench it. 

So the old woman looked around, and she 


74 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 

saw an ox. ^‘Ox, ox,’’ she said, drink wa- 
ter. Water won’t quench fire, fire won’t 
burn stick, stick won’t bang dog, and dog 
won’t bite pig and make him go over the 
stile. I see by the moonlight ’tis half -past 
midnight — time piggy and I were at home 
an hour ago.” 

But the ox said, ^^No, water never did me 
any harm”; and he wouldn’t drink it. 

So the old woman looked around, and she 
saw a butcher. ‘^Butcher, butcher,” she 
said, ‘‘kill ox. Ox won’t drink water, water 
won’t quench fire, fire won’t bum stick, stick 
won’t bang dog, and dog won’t bite pig and 
make him go over the stile. I see by the 
moonlight ’tis half-past midnight — time 
piggy and I were at home an hour ago.” 

But the butcher said, “No, ox never did 
me any harm” ; and he wouldn’t kill him. 

So the old woman looked around, and she 
saw a rope. “Rope, rope,” she said, “hang 


AN OLD WOMAN’S PIG 


75 


butcher. Butcher won’t kiU ox, ox won’t 
drink water, water won’t quench fire, fire 
won’t burn stick, stick won’t ban^ dog, and 
dog won’t bite pig and make him go over the 
stile. I see by the moonlight ’tis half -past 
midnight — ^time piggy and I were at nome 
an hour ago.” 

But the rope said, ‘^No, butcher never did 
me any harm”; and it wouldn’t hang him. 

So the old woman looked around and she 
saw a rat. ‘ ‘ Eat, rat, ’ ’ she said, ‘ ‘ gnaw rope. 
Eope won’t hang butcher, butcher won’t kill 
ox, ox won’t drink water, water won’t quench 
fire, fire won’t burn stick, stick won’t bang 
dog, and dog won’t bite pig and make him 
go over the stile. I see by the moonlight ’tis 
half -past midnight — time piggy and I were 
at home an hour ago.” 

But the rat said, ‘‘No, rope never did me 
any harm”; and he wouldn’t gnaw it. 

The old woman was getting tired of that 


76 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


sort of answer, and she said to the rat, ‘‘I’U 
cut off your tail then.’’ 

The rat did not want to lose his tail. So 
he began to gnaw the rope, and the rope be- 
gan to hang the butcher, and the butcher be- 
gan to kill the ox, and the ox began to drink 
the water, and the water began to quench the 
fire, and the fire began to burn the stick, and 
the stick began to bang the dog, and the dog 
began to bite the pig, and piggy went over 
the stile crying, 


‘‘QUEEK! QUEER!” 


xm 


THE FAITHFUL WIFE 

Once there was a young prince who went 
to a wizard and said, ‘‘Sir, I would have 
you tell me what kind of a wife I am going 
to have.’^ 

“When you were coming from the palace 
to my hut, whom did you see by the way?” 
the wizard asked. 

“No one,” the young man replied. 

“Nay,” the wizard said, “you saw a poor 
servant girl of your father’s cutting grass 
in a field. She is to be your wife.” 

So distressed was the young prince at the 
thought of such a lowly maiden becoming his 
wife, that he went to another country to pre- 
vent such a happening. 

77 


78 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


It came to pass soon afterward that the 
poor girl attracted the attention of the king. 
He saw that she was kind and wise and beau- 
tiful, and he took her into the palace and 
treated her like a daughter. 

Several years passed, and the prince re- 
turned. When he saw the beautiful maiden 
in his father’s palace he Ipved her and asked 
her to be his wife. So they were married, 
and then he learned that she was the servant 
girl whom he had formerly despised. The 
old feeling returned. He was angry because 
his wife had been a servant girl, and he 
begged the king to let him denart on a long 
journey. 

The king gave his consent, though he was 
much displeased with his son’s pride. Then 
the young man had a boat made ready, and 
sailed away down a great river which flowed 
through the royal city. On and on he went, 
and at last he came to another kingdom and 


THE FAITHFUL Vv^IFE 79 

to another royal city, where he stopped to 
look about. 

While he was absent from his boat, the 
king of the country happened to learn that 
a prince had arrived from the neighboring 
kingdom up the river. He was not on the 
best of terms with that kingdom, and he de- 
termined to get the prince into his power. 
So he ordered his servants to secrete a little 
image in the stranger’s boat, that he might 
accuse him of stealing it. 

The prince presently appeared, and some- 
what later the king’s servants pretended to 
come in great haste from the palace to in- 
quire what was in the boat. 

“I have nothing in the boat but my own 
possessions,*” the prince replied. 

^^Hot so,” the servants said. ‘Wou have 
an image of gold which belongs to our king. 
If we find it in your boat, what will you do 
to make amends ? ’ ’ 


80 BEDTIME WONDEE TALES 


‘‘I will be your master’s slave,” the prince 
answered. 

Then the boat was searched, and after a 
while the image was found. So the prince 
went to the palace, and the king sent him 
far away into a wild forest to labor as a 
woodman. 

Time passed along, and one day the wife of 
the young prince went to the king, his father, 
and begged permission to voyage down the 
river to find her husband. 

‘^Go, my child,” the king said. Then he 
had a boat made ready for her use, and or- 
dered several trusty servants to accompany 
her. 

They sailed down the river to the coimtry 
where the young prince was working in the 
forest, and they stopped at the royal city, 
hoping to learn something of him. 

News of the arrival of the princess was 
soon brought to the palace, and the king de- 



THE FAITHFUL WIFE 


81 


termined to treat her as he had the prince. 
So he sent a servant secretly to hide a golden 
image in her boat while she and her servants 
were looking about in the city. 

But when she returned, her sharp eyes de- 
tected signs that some one had been disturb- 
ing things during her absence. By diligent 
searching she found the golden image. 

‘‘This is here for no good,” she said. So 
she carried it to the shore and buried it in 
the sand. 

The following day the king himself came 
to inquire why the princess had stolen his 
image. 

“I am no thief,” she responded indig- 
nantly, “and I have not stolen any image.” 

“If it is found in your boat, what will you 
promise?” the king asked. 

“I and my servants will be slaves to you,” 
she answered. “But should the image not 
he found there, what will you promise?” 


82 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


^‘You shall have all my goods and my en- 
tire kingdom for your own,” the king re- 
sponded. 

A most careful search failed to discover 
the image. Then, true to the agreement, the 
ruler gave his riches and his kingdom to the 
princess. She decided to celebrate this ac- 
quisition of wealth and power with a great 
feast to which she invited all the people. 

The appointed day came, and in the midst 
of the feasting a man in soiled garments car- 
rying an ax on his shoulder entered the city. 
Immediately the princess recognized him as 
her husband, and ran to welcome him. 

He forgot his pride and dropped his ax to 
welcome her with open arms. Henceforth 
he had no desire to leave her, and they lived 
happily together as rulers of her kingdom 
ever after. 


XIV 


FOEBST TKOUBLES 

Theke was once a rabbit who lived near 
where a bear and her cubs had their den. 
When he wanted to entertain himself he 
often did so by visiting the den while Mrs. 
Bear was absent, and teasing the young 
cubs. 

‘^Tou dear little creatures,” he would say, 
‘‘let me hear you sing.” 

Then he would spit at them and play them 
all manner of tricks. That made them 
growl and whine. After the rabbit bad 
gone, and their mother came home, they com- 
plained bitterly of how they had been 
treated. 

On hearing their story, Mrs. Bear would 

83 


84 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


become very angry, and say: ‘^Just wait a 
little. I’U catch Mr. Rabbit some day, and 
when I do I’ll fling him into a hole.” 

One morning Mrs. Bear hid herself back 
of her den. Along came Mr. Rabbit pres- 
ently, and began to tease the cubs. No 
sooner did Mrs. Bear hear him than she 
sprang forth from her hiding-place to seize 
him. But Mr. Rabbit dodged as quick as 
lightning and ran off into the forest under- 
growth. 

Mrs. Bear followed through brush and 
briers close at his heels. They had not gone 
far when they came to a tree that some storm 
had split in half, but which was still stand- 
ing. The split extended from the branches 
clear down to the ground, and the two halves 
leaned apart so that Mr. Rabbit was able to 
spring through the cleft without stopping. 
Mrs. Bear leaped after him, but the crevice 
was too narrow for her great body. She 


FOREST TROUBLES 85 

stuck fast, and do what she would, she could 
not free herself. 

By and by a man came along with an ax, 
and she said, ‘‘Sir, I beseech you to help 
me.’’ 

“How did you get in such a fix?” the man 
inquired. 

“I was chasing a rabbit who had been 
pestering my children,” Mrs. Bear ex- 
plained. “He leaped through this cleft, 
and I followed. I ought to have seen that 
the cleft was too small for a person of my 
size, but I was almost within grabbing dis- 
tance of the rabbit and was in too much of a 
hurry to realize that he was playing a trick 
on me.” 

“Well,” the man said, “if I free you, what 
reward shall I get?” 

Mrs. Bear replied : “I know where there 
is a hollow tree full of honey, and I will 
guide you to that tree. You can bring a 


86 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


great cask, if you choose, and fill it with the 
honey.’’ 

‘‘Are you telling the honest truth?” the 
man asked. 

“Certainly,” Mrs. Bear assured him. 
“You can get all the honey of which I have 
told you. But I require you to promise that 
you will never tell a living soul how a miser- 
able little rabbit made a fool of a big strong 
bear. I don’t care to be twitted about that 
all my days.” 

The man promised, and then he began 
chopping the cloven tree. It soon fell apart, 
and Mrs. Bear went with the man to where 
the honey was. After that she trotted off to 
her den. 

“I must go home,” the man said, “and 
get my oxen and cart and a nice clean cask.” 

That was what he did, and returned at 
once to the honey tree in the forest. There 
he filled the cask with honey. Night was at 


FOEEST TROUBLES 87 

hand when he finished, and it was dark be- 
fore he got home. 

The latter part of the way Mrs. Bear fol- 
lowed noiselessly behind the cart without his 
knowing that she was there. When he drove 
into his yard she crept to the rear of the 
house, and crouched under a kitchen win- 
dow. 

^‘Now,’’ she said to herself, ‘‘I’ll listen 
and see whether he keeps the promise he 
made not to tell how that rabbit tricked me. ” 

The man brought the cask of honey into 
the kitchen, and the children crowded around 
him exclaiming: “Oh, father, what a lot of 
honey ! Where did you get it ? ” 

“I found it in the forest,” he replied. 

Then his wife asked, “Did you find it your- 
self, or did some one tell you where it was?” 

“Don’t bother me!” the man responded. 

‘ ‘ But why shouldn ’t you tell me ? ” his wife 
questioned. 


88 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


‘‘Well,’’ lie said, “if you must know, it 
was like this : An old trotter of a bear was 
chasing a rabbit. They came to a tree that 
the wind or the lightning had split, and the 
rabbit was smart enough to trick the bear by 
jumping through the cleft. He slipped 
through all right, but when she tried to fol- 
low him she got stuck fast. I came along 
and released her. As a reward she showed 
me a hollow tree which some bees had made 
their storehouse. There was so much honey 
that I came home and got the oxen and the 
cart and a cask, and went after it. 

“I wish you could have seen that bear 
caught in the split tree. She certainly was 
in trouble, and it served her right — ^the lazy 
fat old tramper! What business had she 
chasing a rabbit?” 

Mrs. Bear, listening outside under the win- 
dow, did not lose a word of all this. “Just 
wait, just wait!” she growled to herself. 


FOREST TROUBLES 89 

‘^111 soon get even with yon for jeering at 
me.’’ 

She shambled off to her den, and the man 
and his family went to bed. 


XV 


SAVING HIS NOSE 

The next day, after the man had eaten his 
breakfast, he said to his 'wife : wish you 

would put up a lunch for me. I shall be gone 
all day working in that distant field of ours 
that is on the edge of the forest.’’ 

The lunch was soon ready and he set it 
and the plow in the cart, hitched on the oxen, 
and went off to the distant field. Just as he 
was ready to start plowing, Mrs. Bear came 
along. 

‘‘Oho!” she said, “so here you are. I 
have one or two questions to ask. Didn’t 
you promise not to say a word to any one 
about my getting caught in that split tree ; 
and didn’t you go home last night and tell 

90 


SAVING HIS NOSE 91 

the whole story to your wife and children ? 

Heyr’ 

‘‘What an idea!’’ the man responded 
“Why should you accuse me of such a thing ? 
Surely ” 

‘ ‘ Silence ! ’ ’ the bear interrupted. ‘ ‘ Lying 
won’t help you. I was listening under your 
window after you brought the honey into 
your house.” 

Then the man thought, “Ah ! she knows the 
whole story, and I’m in as much of a pickle 
as she was in the cleft tree.” 

“It’s all up with you,” the bear said. 

In a near by thicket a fox was hiding, and 
he heard the bear’s threatening words. The 
fox fancied he might gain something by help- 
ing the man. So he rustled the bushes with 
his tail, and called out — 

“Oh, Mr. Man, why do you stand 

Affrighted there with club in hand?” 


92 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


For the peasant carried a heavy ox-goad, 
and yet he stood quaking with terror before 
the enraged bear. She was telling him what 
she thought of him, and he was trying to con- 
trive some plan to get out of the scrape he 
was in. 

When the words of the fox reached his 
ears, he suddenly realized that he was not as 
helpless as he had imagined. He gripped 
the ox-goad tighter, watched his chance, and 
gave the bear a stunning blow on the head. 
This he followed up with other blows, and 
soon she lay before him lifeless. 

Now the fox came out of the thicket, and 
asked, ‘‘What am I to get, Mr. Man, for the 
good counsel I have given you?” 

‘ ‘ I don ’t know, ’ ’ the man replied. ‘ ‘ What 
would you like? How would some geese 
suit you?” 

“Not at all,” the fox said. 

“I have some ducks,” the man suggested. 


SAVING HIS NOSE 93 

^‘But I don’t want ducks,” the fox de- 
clared. 

‘‘Perhaps you would like some hens,” the 
man said. 

“No, I don’t want hens,” was the fox’s 
response. 

‘ ‘ Then what in the mischief do you want ? ’ ’ 
the man inquired anxiously. 

“I want to bite off your nose,” the fox 
answered. 

“Why, how I should look going around 
without a nose !” the man exclaimed, and the 
cold sweat broke out all over him. 

“Are you ready?” the fox asked. 

Instead of replying, the man turned his 
face toward his house, and shouted : ‘ ‘ Stop ! 
Down with you ! Be quiet !” 

The fox was startled. “What’s all that 
about ? ” he questioned. 

“ Oh ! nothing, ’ ’ the man said, ‘ ‘ only I have 
nine hunting dogs at home, and I forgot to 


94 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


feed them this morning. I just heard them 
making a great racket trying to get out of 
their kennel, and I’m afraid they’ll succeed.” 

‘^May the Old Nick take your nose and all 
the rest of you!” the fox cried. ‘‘I ask for 
nothing except that you will keep those hor- 
rid dogs from coming here until I have made 
my hide safe by getting off out of their way. ’ ’ 

Then he sped into the forest and was lost 
to sight. So the man saved his nose, and 
when he went home that night he carried 
along the body of the bear in his cart. 


XVI 


THE CAPTIVE PRINCE 

Once upon a time there was a king’s son who 
went out hunting with the royal huntsmen. 
But he wandered away from his companions 
and presently saw a fine stag, which he pur- 
sued a long way. 

At last the stag ran into a little hollow, 
and changed into a tall thin man. Then he 
stepped forth from the hollow and confront- 
ed the prince. ^^Now you are in my power 
and must come with me,” he said. 

The tall man led the way to a wide lake, 
made the prince get into a boat, and rowed 
him across to a handsome palace. They 
went in, sat down at a table, and ate dinner 
together. 


95 


96 BEDTIME WONDEE TALES 


Afterward the tall man said: ‘‘I am the 
king of this country, and I have three daugh- 
ters. To-night you must stand on guard 
just inside the door of the room they oc- 
cupy from nine o’clock in the evening till 
morning. Every time the big clock in the 
neighboring hall strikes the hour I shall 
come and call to you softly. If you reply, 
‘All’s well,’ each time, you shall marry one 
of the princesses. But if you fail to answer, 
even once, your life will be the forfeit.” 

At nine o’clock the prince began his vigil 
in the chamber of the three sisters. The 
youngest of the three tried to persuade the 
others to try to save him from the punish- 
ment that their father had threatened, but 
they would not. 

“Then I will do what I can alone,” she 
said, and she went to the prince and greeted 
him kindly. 

Afterward she addressed a great stone 


THE CAPTIVE PRINCE 


97 


image that was in the room, saying, ^^Each 
time that my father comes to the door this 
night and calls to the prince, you must an- 
swer, ‘All’s well.’ ” 

The stone image, as if assenting to what 
she required, nodded its head, at first 
rapidly, then gradually slower until it 
stopped. 

Each hour during the night the king came 
to the door and called to the prince, and the 
stone image answered, while the prince lay 
on the floor sleeping with his head on his 
arm. 

In the morning the king opened the door, 
and said to the prince: “You have been a 
faithful guard, but I am not going to let you 
marry one of my daughters until you have 
cut down a forest near here. You must fin- 
ish the task this very day and have the tim- 
ber all chopped in cordwood length, split, 
and neatly piled. I will furnish you with 


98 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


an ax, a wedge, and a mallet. If you fail, 
off with your head!’’ 

The prince went to the forest and started 
work, but he soon gave up in despair. ^‘I 
have no chance at all,” he said. ‘^In a few 
hours I must die.” And he sat down and 
wept. 

Toward noon the king said to his daugh- 
ters, ‘^One of you must take some food to 
the prince whom I have put to work in the 
forest.” 

‘^Either of the others may, but I will not,” 
the eldest declared. 

^^Nor will I,” the second said. 

So the youngest princess carried the food 
to the prince, and asked him how he was get- 
ting along. 

‘‘Very badly,” the prince replied. 

“Here is food for you,” the princess told 
him. 

“No, I shall never eat again,” he declared. 


THE CAPTIVE PEINCE 


99 


But she urged him, and at last he ate what 
she had brought. After he finished, she 
made him play ball with her, and when they 
stopped playing, he was so weary that he lay 
down and fell asleep. 

Then she took her handkerchief, tied a 
knot in the end, and knocked three times 
on the ground. ‘^Earthmen, come up!” she 
cried. 

Immediately ever so many little dwarfs 
appeared and asked the princess what she 
wanted. 

^Hn three hours from this time,” she said, 
^‘you must have all the trees in this forest 
cut down, made into cordwood, and piled.” 

The earthmen set to work. Three hours 
later they gathered about the princess and 
reported that the task was done. Then she 
rapped on the ground, and cried, Earth- 
men, go home!” 

At once they all disappeared, and she 


100 BEDTIME WONDEE TALES 


awoke tke prince. He was overjoyed to see 
that the work he had been ordered to do was 
finished. 

^^The day is nearly at an end,’’ she said, 
^‘and you must start for the palace. I shaU 
go too, but by a different way.” 

So they parted. When the prince arrived 
at the palace, the king summoned him and 
asked if his task was completed. 

^‘Yes,” the prince answered, ^‘the forest 
is cleared away in accord with your direc- 
tions.” 

They sat down and ate supper together. 
Then the king said : ^^There is still another 
task to perform before you can have one of 
my daughters. It is to dig a deep ditch, and 
fill it with crystal clear water in which all 
sorts of fish shall be swimming about. I 
•will furnish you with a spade and a pail to- 
morrow morning. Everything must be done 
by six o’clock in the evening.” 


THE CAPTIVE PRINCE 101 


Early the next day the prince began work, 
but after digging a little while he concluded 
that his effort was wasted. He sat down 
hopeless, and there the youngest princess 
found him at noonday when she brought him 
his dinner. 

^‘How are you getting on?’^ she asked. 

^‘Alas!” he said, hiding his face in his 
hands, can accomplish nothing.” 

Don’t be so down-hearted,” the princess 
urged. ^ ‘ You wiU feel better after you have 
eaten.” 

‘‘No, no! my hours are numbered. I do 
not care to eat, ” he told her. 

However, she at last persuaded him to re- 
fresh himself with the food she had brought. 
Afterward he lay down and slept. Then the 
princess knotted her handkerchief, rapped 
with it on the ground, and called, “Earth- 
men, come up!” 

They appeared at once, and she said, “I 


102 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


give you three hours to dig here a long broad 
ditch, and fill it with crystal clear water, 
which shall be stocked with all kinds of 
fish.” 

The earthmen did everything promptly, 
exactly as she had ordered, and she sent 
them back into the ground. Then she awoke 
the prince and showed him the ditch full of 
clear water in which they could plainly see 
the fishes swimming about. 

will leave you now,” she said. ‘^Re- 
member that at six o’clock you must be at 
the palace to report to my father.” 

When that hour arrived he appeared be- 
fore the king and informed him that the 
ditch, the water, and the fish were ready. 

“You have done well,” was the king’s com- 
ment. 

But he was not satisfied even yet; and 
after supper he said to the prince: “You 
must do one more thing before the wedding 


THE CAPTIVE PRINCE 103 


takes place. A few miles from here is a hill 
with some big rough crags on its summit. 
Those crags must be demolished, and in their 
place you must build a fine castle, and fur- 
nish it with every desirable comfort and con- 
venience. I will supply you with a pickax 
and auger in the morning, and you are to fin- 
ish by night. Your reward shall be my 
youngest daughter for your wife, but if you 
fail your head shall be taken off.’’ 

The prince went vigorously at his task on 
the morrow, but soon broke his pickax. This 
misfortune so discouraged him that he sat 
down to wait for the princess, hoping, if she 
came as usual, that she would find a way to 
help him. 

When the sun was at its highest, the prince 
saw her in the distance bringing a basket of 
food. So he ran to meet her, and told her 
of his troubles. 

She made him eat and go to sleep. Then 


104 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


she summoned the earthmen. ‘‘Remove 
these crags from the hilltop,” she ordered, 
“and in their stead rear a magnificent castle. 
The castle must be furnished from its high- 
est chambers to its lowest cellars, and all 
this must be done in three hours.” 

The dwarfs fetched their tools, and worked 
in such numbers and with such energy that 
the castle was built and furnished in the 
allotted time. Afterward the princess 
rapped thrice on the ground with her 
knotted handkerchief, and cried, “Earth- 
men, go home!” 

Immediately they all disappeared, and she 
went and awoke the prince. They were as 
merry as birds in the air over what had been 
accomplished, and at six o’clock they re- 
turned to the palace together. 


xvn 


A FOKGOTTEN PRINOESS 

Aptek the king had eaten supper with the 
prince that night he asked, ‘‘Are the crags 
removed from the hilltop, and is the castle 
ready f’’ 

“Yes,’’ the prince replied. 

“Very good,” the king said. “Tomor- 
row you shall marry my eldest daughter.” 

“But I don’t want her!” the prince ex- 
claimed hastily. “You promised me your 
youngest daughter.” 

“Ha, so I did!” his Majesty said, “but 
you ought to understand that a king is at 
liberty to change his mind.” 

However, the prince’s mind did not 
change, and as soon as every one in the 

105 


106 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


palace was asleep, lie and the youngest 
princess ran away. They journeyed on and 
on, and at last came in sight of the castle in 
which dwelt the parents of the prince. 

A little farther along they entered a vil- 
lage, and the prince said to his companion : 
^^Stop here, my dearest, while I go to the 
castle. I want to bring a carriage and ser- 
vants to meet you.” 

When he got to the palace the first thing 
he did was to tell the men at the stables 
to hitch horses to a carriage. ^^In about fif- 
teen minutes I want to drive to yonder 
village,” he said. 

There was great rejoicing over his return, 
and his mother, the queen, was especially 
happy. But the moment he kissed her a 
strange thing happened. He forgot all that 
had occurred while he had been away, and 
did not even recollect his intention of driving 
to the village. So the horses were presently 


A FORGOTTEN PRINCESS 107 

unliitclied from the carriage and put back in 
their stalls. 

No one came to fetch the waiting princess, 
and she loitered until nightfall on a bridge 
near a mill. Then the miller asked her if 
she wanted work. 

‘^Yes,” she said. 

So she went to live in the miller’s family, 
and day after day she was kept busy washing 
linen by the waterside. One time, when the 
queen was out for an airing, she saw the 
princess scrubbing on the borders of the 
stream. 

‘‘What a fine girl that is!” the queen ex- 
claimed. “She pleases me well.” 

Then the queen went to the miller and got 
him to allow the girl to come and be one of 
the servants at the castle. There the prince 
saw her, but the sight of her did not rouse 
any recollection of her in his mind. 

The very first night that she was in the 


108 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 

castle she stole to the door of the princess 
chamber, and stayed there till morning 
crouched on the threshold speaking to him. 
She tried to make him recall how she had 
saved his life again and again — ^first by 
making the stone image speak, then by cut- 
ting down the forest, then by digging the 
ditch, and lastly by replacing the crags on 
the hilltop with a fine castle. 

this I have done for you,’’ she said, 
‘‘and yet you have forsaken me.” 

The prince listened to the voice at his door, 
and gradually the past came back to his 
memory. He arose in the morning, and when 
he saw the maiden, he knew that she was his 
betrothed whom he had left in the village. 
That he had neglected her so long distressed 
him greatly, and he begged her to pardon his 
forgetfulness. 

She had brought a magic nut with her 
from her former home. This she now 







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The forgotten princess working for the miller 









A FOEGOTTEN PRINCESS 109 


cracked, and took from it a beautiful dress 
to wear at her wedding. The wedding was 
not long delayed. A great many people came 
to it, and all the boys and girls ran ahead of 
the bride, and strewed flowers in her path. 

So the prince and princess were happily 
married, and they lived happy ever after. 


XYiiir 


THE MIKROR 

Long ago there lived a man and his wife 
who had one child, a daughter, and she was 
the joy of their hearts. One time it happened 
that the man had to go from the mountains 
where they dwelt to the city of the king on 
business. 

‘ ‘ The journey is a long one, ’ ’ his wife said, 
^‘and there are many dangers. Please take 
care of yourself, and return quickly.’’ 

She and the little daughter parted from 
him at the gate, and stood watching till he 
disappeared in the distance. 

The days passed, and at length the man 
returned, tanned brown by the wind and 
sun. He brought a doll for the little girl, 

who was greatly delighted. 

no 


THE MIRROR 


XU 

For his wife he brought a small hand 
mirror. She had never seen a mirror before, 
and she said: ‘^Somebody is looking at me 
from this round thing. What is it you have 
given me?’’ 

^‘That is a mirror,” the husband replied, 
laughing. ‘Ht reflects your face. People 
seldom have them here in this out-of-the-way 
region, but they can be bought in all the big 
towns. Take good care of it.” 

‘Hndeed I will,” the wife said. have a 
little box that it will fit. I will keep it in 
that.” 

The family jlived in peace and content 
until the daughter grew from childhood into 
a beautiful girl of sixteen. But, alas ! You 
cannot depend on things continuing un- 
changed in this world. The moon is not 
always round, flowers bloom and then fade, 
and happiness does not go on forever. 

Sorrow came to this family. The mother 


112 BEDTIME WOISTDER TALES 


was taken ill, and as the days passed she 
gradually grew worse. At last the doctor 
abandoned hope. 

The daughter never left her mother’s side. 
She gave her medicine, and attended to her 
wants day and night. 

One evening the mother called to the girl, 
and said: ‘‘My end is near. I have some- 
thing that I wish to give you. There is a 
little box under my pillow. It contains a 
wonderful present that your father brought 
me from the city of the king. After my 
death, if you think longingly of me, take out 
the thing that you will find inside the box, 
and look at it. When you do so my spirit 
will meet yours, and you will be com- 
forted.” 

The next day the mother died. Father 
and daughter grieved deeply, and the girl’s 
heart grew no lighter as time went on. The 
sound of the wind in the trees, the dropping 


THE MIRROR 113 

of the rain — everything reminded her of 
her mother. 

Presently she recollected what her mother 
had said about the gift in the box. So she 
opened the box and took out the mirror. She 
gazed at the mirror in astonishment, for 
there before her she saw her mother’s face, 
only it was much younger and more beauti- 
ful than when they separated. The face 
smiled, and the lips parted as if about to 
speak. 

‘ ‘ Oh, what joy ! ” the girl exclaimed. ‘ ^ Now 
I can always meet her spirit.” 

About a year after the death of the mother 
the father married again. At first there was 
peace and harmony in the household, but 
later the new wife did not get on well with 
the daughter. 

One day she went weeping to her husband, 
and said : ‘ H have come to bid you farewell. 
I must go away.” 


114 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


‘^Whal do you mean?’’ her husband 
asked, much surprised. 

‘^Your daughter dislikes me,” she an- 
swered. ‘ ‘ For hours at a time she sits in her 
room and gazes at something in her hand. I 
am very sure she is plotting to injure me by 
magic.” 

The husband was confident that his wife 
was mistaken, but he remembered that his 
daughter did spend much time in her own 
room. So, with the intent to find out what 
she did there, he went on tip-toe to her 
apartment. 

The girl had been very unhappy, for she 
felt that her step-mother had changed 
toward her. Her only pleasure was to steal 
away to her own room and look in the 
mirror. 

On this day, as usual, she had taken 
it out, and was thinking of her happy life 
with her mother, when some one entered the 


THE MIRROE 115 

room behiiiid her. She hastily slipped ihie 
mirror up her sleeve. 

^‘Why are you sitting here alone doiry 
nothing?’’ her father asked. 

She gave no answer. 

What did you hide just now ?” he said in 
a severe tone; but she was too surprised to 
reply. 

fear that what my wife fells me is 
true,” he went on. ^‘You are plotting to 
injure her by magic arts. What evil spirit 
has taken possession of you?” 

Then the girl spoke. ‘‘Do not say such 
things about me,” she entreated. “I have 
never wished to injure my stepmother in 
anyway.” 

“If that is the case,” he said, “why do 
you stay here alone, and why did you hide 
something in your sleeve when I came in?” 

As he still mistrusted her, she drew the 
mirror out of her sleeve, and held it up. 


U6 BEDTIME ;WOKDEE TALES 

‘^This is what I have been looking at,” she 
told him. 

That ! ” her father said, much astonished. 
‘‘Why that is the present I brought your 
mother from the city of the king. Why 
should you sit gazing at that?” 

Then she told her father of her mother’s 
dying words. 

“Do you really think that you can meet 
your mother’s spirit by looking in that 
glass?” he said. “Such a thing is im- 
possible.” 

“Indeed, I am telling you the truth,” the 
girl declared. “Look — do you not see my 
mother’s spirit in this? I can see it al- 
ways.” 

She held the mirror up before her face, 
and at once he understood. “Ah!” he 
thought, “what her mother told her was a 
device to comfort the poor girl. Certainly 
they were as like each other as the two sides 


117 


THE MTREOE! 

of an orange ; so perhaps it is not wonderful 
that the girl has been mistaking her own 
face for her mother’s all the time. 

Then he said to the girl: “We have been 
unjust to you. We thought you were going 
to do evil through magic arts when, as a 
matter of fact, you were looking at your 
mother.” 

The stepmother had entered the room. 
Now she came forward, knelt in front of the 
girl, and said: “You must forgive me. 
When I saw you constantly sitting here, 
looking at something that you would not 
show to others, I grew suspicious. But please 
forgive me. I cannot help admiring your 
love for your mother.” 

The father was greatly delighted at this 
happy ending of their unhappiness, and the 
three lived pleasantly together ever after. 


SIX 


ITHE PASSING OF LOKU 

HmsTDEEDS of years ago there was a very 
wicked king named Lokn. He put to death 
all his subjects who refused to do his bid- 
ding, and he made war on the neighboring 
kings and conquered every nation that op- 
posed him, 

S.t last he killed so many people that an 
angel Vas sent from heaven to order him 
to cease from warfare and to rule his own 
land justly. He was in his palace planning 
a new campaign when a soft light filled the 
chamber, and the angel appeared and de- 
livered his mandate. 

The cruel king gave no heed. He dis- 
missed the holy messenger in scorn, saying : 

118 


THE PASSING OF LOKU 119 

take orders from no one. I am Loku. 
AH know and fear my name. I am the great 
Loku.” 

Hardly had he spoken when the palace 
shook to its foundations, and a mighty voice 
thundered : ‘Hs it thus you slight my orders ? 
You are Loku. All shall indeed know your 
name. Forever you shall cry it in a form 
that suits your nature.” 

Now the courtiers entered the chamber 
seeking the king, but he was nowhere to be 
found. The royal robes lay scattered on the 
floor, and the only living thing to be seen 
was an ugly lizard that blinked from among 
the papers on the table. 

The lizard was Loku, and he is still heard 
fulfilling his punishment in crevices and 
shrubbery calling his name from dark till 
dawn: Loku! Loku! Loku! 


XX 


THE LEAKY SATJCEPAH 

Theke was once a housewife who was so 
keen in looking after her own welfare in this 
world, that what she gave in charity for the 
good of her soul consisted of things for which 
she had no use. 

One day a little fairy man knocked at her 
door. The servant girl opened it, and the 
little man said: ^^The fairy folk are pre- 
paring for a wedding, and we haven’t 
enough dishes to do the cooking. Can you 
lend us a saucepan?” 

The servant girl turned to her mistress 
who was close at hand, and asked, Shall 
I let him have one ? ’ ’ 

‘‘Yes, to he sure,” the housewife said. 

120 


THE LEAKY SAUCEPAN 121 


But when the maid was taking a saucepan 
from the shelf, the woman pinched the girl’s 
arm and whispered sharply : ‘ ‘ Not that, you 
stupid ! G^t the old one out of the cupboard. 
It leaks, and the fairy men are so neat and 
such nimble workers that they are sure to 
mend it before they send it home. We’ll do 
a good turn to the fairies, and at the 
same time we’ll save sixpence from the 
tinker.” 

The maid fetched the saucepan, which had 
been laid aside awaiting the tinlier’s next 
visit, and gave it to the fairy man. Then 
he thanked her and went away. 

The saucepan was soon returned nicely 
mended and ready for use. At supper time 
the maid filled the pan with milk and set it 
on the fire to warm the milk for the 
children’s supper. But in a few minutes the 
milk was so burned and smoked that no one 
could bear the taste of it. Nor would the 


122 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 

pigs drink the swill into wliicli it was 
tkrown. 

you good-for-nothing sloven/’ the 
housewife exclaimed to the maid, ‘‘you 
would ruin the richest family with your 
careless ways. There’s a whole quart of 
good milk spoiled.” 

“And that’s two-pence!” a voice cried 
from the chimney. It was a queer whining 
voice like that of some old person who was 
always grumbling. 

The housewife now filled the saucepan 
herself and set it on the fire. But she had 
not left it there two minutes when the milk 
was all burned and smoked as before. 

“The pan must be dirty,” she said in a 
rage. “There are two full quarts of milk 
wasted. They might as well have been thrown 
to the dogs.” 

“And that’s fourpence!” the voice in the 
chimney whined. 


THE LEAKY SAUCEPAN 128 


After a thorough scrubbing, the saucepan 
was once more filled and set on the fire, and 
once more the milk was burned and smoked. 
The housewife burst into tears at this waste, 
and cried out; ‘‘Never before has such a 
thing happened to me in all the years that I 
have been keeping house! Three quarts of 
milk have been burned for one meal.” 

“And that’s sixpence!” the voice in the 
chimney said. “You didn’t save what you 
would have paid the tinker after all.” 

Then there came tumbling down the 
diimney onto the hearth the little fairy man. 
He went off through the door laughing, and 
from that time the saucepan was as good as 
any other. 


XXI 


MOLLY AND THE PIXIES 

There was once a big old English country 
mansion where the people of the house kept 
two servant maids. Every night the maids 
left a bucket of clean water in the kitchen 
chimney corner for the pixies. 

This favor was very much appreciated by 
the little fairy folk. In return they never 
failed to drop some silver money into the 
water, and the maids would find the sil- 
ver each morning in the bottom of the 
bucket. 

Once, however, the maids went to bed 
without remembering the water for the pix- 
ies. When the little fellows saw the empty 
bucket they were greatly disappointed. 

124 


MOLLY AND THE PIXIES 125: 

‘‘How careless!” they cried. “We will tell 
those lassies what we think of them.” 

So they whisked upstairs to the maids ^ 
bedroom, crawled through the keyhole, and 
began to exclaim against the laziness and 
neglect of the damsels. 

One of the maids awoke and heard what 
the pixies had to say. Then she jogged her 
fellow servant, and whispered : “Molly, rouse 
up! We forgot the water for the pixies. 
Here they are in our room telling us we must 
go down and get it for them.” 

Molly was angry because she had been 
disturbed out of a sound sleep, and she said 
pettishly, “For my part, I will not stir out of 
bed for all the pixies in England.” 

“Very well,” her companion responded, 
“then stay where you are. But I shall go 
down and fill the bucket.” 

This she did, and when she came back to 
the bedroom she found that Molly had turned 


126 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


oreT and gone to sleep. The pixies were still 
{here, and they were engaged in a loud and 
stem debate as to what punishment should 
be inflicted on the lazy lass who would not 
stir for their benefit. 

Some proposed pinches and blows, others 
fo spoil her new bonnet and ribbons, or to 
send her the toothache. One suggested giving 
her a red nose, but that was voted too severe 
a punishment for a pretty young woman. 

Finally they decided she should have a 
lame foot which could only be cured by a 
certain moorland herb. The long and learned 
and difficult name of this herb was pro- 
nounced very distinctly by the pixie judge. 

It was a name of seven syllables, and the 
good-natured maid determined to try with all 
her might and main to remember it. She said 
it over and over, and she tied a string around 
her finger to assist her memory. At length 
she felt that she had the name of the herb as 


MOLLY AND THE PIXIES 127 

firmly fixed in her mind as her own name. 
So she dropped asleep and did not wake till 
morning. 

Whether her head was like a sieve that lets 
out as fast as it takes in, or whether the over- 
exertion of her endeavor to remember caused 
her to forget, certain it is that when she 
opened her eyes she knew nothing at all of 
the matter. 

There was no doubt as to what had hap- 
pened, for Molly, who had been perfectly 
sound in body the day before, was now so 
lame she could hardly limp around. Her 
companion did the best she could to recall 
the strange seven-syllable name of the herb 
which would effect a cure, but it was hope- 
lessly gone from her mind. 

So year after year Molly went lame, until 
she was out on the moor one day with a rogue 
of a boy. She kept to a path, but the boy 
rambled about here and there, and presently 


128 BEDTIME WONDER TALES 


came running to her to show an odd-looking 
plant he had picked. As he drew near he 
struck her with it playfully several times, 
and one blow chanced to hit her lame foot. 

The plant must have been the one with 
the long name, for from that moment Molly’s 
lameness was gone. Indeed, when the next 
May Day came, and she danced with the 
other lassies on the village green, she was the 
most active and graceful of any of them. 




















